iGame Radio

UPDATE: Just got confirmation from VP that the multiplayer will be Mac/PC. Also, they are porting over the map editor as well!

Remember Majesty: The Fantasy Kingdom Sim published for the Mac by MacPlay oh so many years ago? Paradox Interactive finally acquired the rights to make a sequel and released Majesty 2 for Windows in 2009.

Well, guess what’s comin’ for the Mac? Virtual Programming just announced Majesty 2 for the Mac over the weekend. Our long wait is over!

In Majesty 2, your minions have a will of their own, and you have to try to control them with bribes monetary incentives. There are 16 missions within 4 chapters, as well as some side missions and multiplayer maps for Internet and LAN play. You can choose from 10 different classes to oversee the protection of your lands and kick monster butt, and unlike the original game, these classes can be upgraded.

System requirements:

• Mac OS X: 10.6.3 or higher
• Intel CPU, 2.16 GHz or faster
• 1 GB RAM
• GeForce 8600, Radeon X1600 or newer 128 MB
• 1.5 GB Hard Disk space
• Internet connection for product registration

Even cooler is that the expansion, Majesty 2: Kingmaker, will be released as well. The system requirements for the expansion are the same, but include the requirement of Majesty 2 to play.

Pricing has already been set at £29.95 | €39.95 | $39.95(US). You can get more info about Majesty 2 at the official website for the game, but as soon as VP releases the URL for the Mac version site, I’ll release that one as well. No word yet on release date.

UPDATE: Just got word back from Brad Cook of Virtual Programming to clear up some misconceptions about the game and Steam. Cook says, “Actually, it won’t be on Steam for Mac. Players will receive a Steam code so they can play over a LAN against others. That code will also give them access to the PC version. But they will initially buy the game from us, through Deliver2Mac or other service.”

Virtual Programming has released system requirements and pricing for Supreme Commander 2 pending the launch of the game.

Amongst the system requirements one finds that the game will be available on Steam for Mac available for LAN play through Steam…see update above. When first announced, Virtual Programming had specifically stated that they had no plans to release the game for Steam, so this is a big turnaround. It’s unknown whether the game will only be available on Steam, or will be available also on the VP Deliver2Mac service.

Supreme Commander 2, sequel to the highly-acclaimed strategy title released three years ago, involves the threat of war between the United Earth Federation, the Aeon Illuminate, and the Cybran Nation after an assassination of the newly elected president causes their tenuous Colonial Defense Coalition to break down. The game was originally developed for the Xbox 360 and Windows by Gas Powered Games and launched in March.

System Requirements include:

• Mac OS 10.6.3 or higher
• 2.2GHz Intel CPU
• 1GB RAM
• 256MB video RAM (GeForce 8600, Radeon 2400HD or newer)
• 5GB Hard Disk space
• Internet connection
• Steam for Mac (for LAN play; yes, that gives you the PC version for free
  too)

Supreme Command 2 will be available through Deliver2Mac and later at boxed retail, and for LAN play only on Steam with a code. The game will price at £29.94 | €39.95 | $39.95US.

Virtual Programming has been pretty busy lately. First a Hearts of Iron expansion, and now the Gold Edition of Europa Universalis Rome. The Gold Edition includes the original EU Rome, and the Vae Victus expansion pack, and can be downloaded from the direct2mac website.

Choose any date between 280 BC, the first Punic War, and 27 BC and lead one of ten different cultures, including the Roman, Celtic, Greek, and Egyptian civilizations. Decide to trade and negotiate with your neighbors, or turn aggressive and declare all out war. There are hundreds of provinces and more than 53 factions to play with, as well as historical characters that you can ban, imprison, execute, or promote, depending on how much caffeine you had that morning.

The Gold Edition includes upgraded military AI as well as online play, with up to 32 gamers in either competitive or co-op mode.

System requirements:

• Mac OS X version 10.5.8 or later
• Intel processor
• 1GB RAM
• 128MB video card (Nvidia GeForce 7300 or ATI RadeonHD 2600/4850/4870 or better; Intel GMA integrated graphics chipsets and ATI X1600 and X1900 video cards are not supported)
• 1.2GB of hard disk space
• A broadband Internet connection for product registration and online multiplayer

Europa Universalis Rome: Gold Edition is available on the Virtual Programming site for $29.95US, £24.95UK, €29.95EU.

Virtual Programming has released their new expansion for Hearts of Iron III…Semper Fi. The latest expansion pack for this real-time strategy game, Semper Fi promises improved game AI, more multiplayer options, impacts from changes in patriotism, and more.

Semper Fi introduces an greater cooperation with allied troops, allowing you to request additional troops, convince them to attack specific targets, launch multi-stage invasions, pursue more strategic production of resources, and more. You can also compare the game’s alternate timeline created through gameplay with the real events, including a new 1940 scenario to fill in a previous timeline gap.

Semper Fi also introduces a new patriotism influence to the game. You can designate certain ships with the term “Pride of the Fleet”, granting them bonuses in battle. But if those ships sink, or you change which ship’s carry that title, your home country takes a hit to patriotic support for your cause.

Multiplayer combat support is provided up to 32 players, with hidden victory conditions that can be chosen by UK, Germany, and USSR faction leaders at game start; theaters of war defined with a simple drag-box system, new air and naval map modes showing recent engagements; and much more.

System requirements:

• Mac OS X version 10.5.8 or later
• Any Intel processor
• 1GB RAM
• 128MB video RAM (Nvidia GeForce 7300 or ATI Radeon HD 2600/4850/4870 or better; Intel GMA integrated chipsets and ATI Radeon X1600 and X1900 video cards are not supported)
• 2GB of hard drive space
• A broadband Internet connection is required for Internet play and product registration.

Hearts of Iron III: Semper Fi is available on the Virtual Programming site for $19.95US, £14.95UK, €19.95EU.

Virtual Programming has announced the release of Defense Grid: The Awakening for the Mac. Originally released for Windows in 2008, this tower defense game pits a player against waves of aliens as the player attempts to re-initiate a long dormant defense grid. The game got high marks for good quality with a long familiar game play format.

The game features 20 maps and 10 types of towers with unique capabilities that must be activated against 15 different types of enemies. You are forced to think strategically as each tower has its strengths and weaknesses, and aliens become more powerful over time. Prevent the aliens from stealing the power cores to survive levels which will unlock challenge modes and gain achievements. Post your achievements and high scores to the game’s leader boards.

System requirements include:

• OS X 10.5.8 or better
• Any Intel Mac
• 1 GB RAM
• Nvidia GeForce 7300, ATI Radeon X1600, or newer
• 128 MB VRAM
• 1.1 GB Hard drive space
• Internet connection for registration

You can purchase the game now for $24.95, £19.95, or €19.95 from Direct2Mac.com.

If you are looking for a game for the younger set, Virtual Programming might have just the one. ItzaBitza was announced last week for the Mac. The game introduces kids four and up to the world of words and drawing.

ItzaBitza uses a drawing recognition system called Living Ink that allows kids to draw any object on the screen that can then interact with other objects on the screen. Players are introduced to Sketchy, a whimsical character that can help them through the world of the game. They learn valuable computer skills, drawing skills, and word recognition and reading skills as they play.

The game has five environments, “Home Sweet Home,” “Let’s go Camping,” “Play in Space,” “A Farm Life,” and “A VERY Scary Haunted House.” Each environment is unlocked as the player earns stars in the previous environment.

System requirements include:

• Any Intel CPU
• 512 MB RAM
• GeForce 7300, Radeon X1600 or Intel GMA X3100 128MB
• 500 MB Hard Disk space
• Internet connection for product registration

You can purchase ItzaBitza now for $24.95, £19.95, or €19.95 at Direct2Mac.

 

What’s inside this episode:

• Corey Tamas of MacGamer gives a review of GodFinger for the iPhone by ngmoco. Use your finger to be god. I mean, what else would you use your finger for? Make charming critters worship you, then roast them when you had a bad day. All for free!
  

Show Notes:

• Omaha Sternberg and Corey Tamas of MacGamer talk about the iPhone 4 first impressions. Despite over 1.7 million iPhones sold in 1.5 weeks, only 48 apps have been updated for iOS4. What gives? Omaha and Corey talk about what that means. Also, what do people think about the gyroscope, multitasking, and retina display so far?
• OnLive is live. But Omaha can’t connect. Find out why.
• Feral Interactive has announced a teaser for their next game announcement, and Omaha thinks she knows what it is.
• Virtual Programming reissued X3: Reunion as a native Mac port because they didn’t feel the Cider was “good enough”. Omaha and Corey talk about what the means, and whether this is the start of a trend.
• Contests! More contests than you can shake a crashed iPhone at!

Music Notes:

• Digital Droo produced our theme music here at iGame Radio.
• Matt Jarvis for featuring music from Osmos.
• Bobby “Glorian” Slavov and Victor Stoyanov for featuring music from Eschalon: Book 1.

Not satisfied with the Cider port of X3: Reunion released last year, Virtual Programming has gone back to the porting drawing board and reissued a native port of the FPS space trading and combat game. Announced earlier this month, the latest version is now available as a free update to current users, and as a cheaper version to new players.

X3: Reunion takes place in a far-flung future where humans have long since lost contact with Earth, which is now considered nothing more than a myth. Players slip on the spacesuit of Julian Brennan, who travels the 161 sectors of the X Universe undertaking dangerous missions, hauling resources along trading lanes, and battling hostile forces, including nefarious pirates and the deadly, enigmatic Kha’ak.

Players can follow the main storyline as much or little as they want, while maneuvering between the unstable relationships of the game’s five main races: Argon, Boron, Paranid, Split, and Teladi,

System requirements:

• Mac OS X version 10.5.8 or better
• 2GHz Intel processor
• 512MB RAM
• 128MB video card (Nvidia GeForce 8600 or ATI Radeon X1600 or better)
• 4GB of hard disk space
• Internet connection forproduct registration

The new version of X3: Reunion can be purchased now at Deliver2Mac as a digital download. Pricing is US$19.95, €19.95, £14.95. Gamers who own the previous version of the game can download the new one for free. There are some specific instructions for doing this, so visit the Deliver2Mac site for details.

BTW, if you are interested in more games of this type from Virtual Programming, or maybe you want to see them go in a different direction, you have an opportunity to tell them what’s on your mind right now. Virtual Programming is hosting a survey of Mac gamers and their desires. There’s not account to create or name to give. You just tell them the genre’s you like and any specific games you’d like to see them bring to the Mac. As easy as that.

Well, everyone else is doing it, so Virtual Programming decided to join the gang. In the rush to the bottom, all of their iPhone games are now $.99 (59p in the UK, 0.79
euros elsewhere).

And they have a few you may not have heard of, including the Saqqarah series of seven puzzle games, each dedicated to a Temple of an Egyptian god (Sobek, Osiris, Horus, Anubis, Thot, Isis, and Bast). Each release, or Temple, offers a variety of different matching puzzle games, each with different gameplay mechanics.

Another game is the classic favorite Pipe Mania. The iPhone version includes a lite version to try out for free and social scoring and networking through Scoreloop.

You can check out all of Virtual Programming’s iPhone games and see for yourself.

ETA: I was updated by Virtual Programming that the native port is not yet available, and that this was intended as a pending announcement only. They apologize for the mistake and will update everyone when the final version is available.

All Six Million Dollar Man jokes aside, Virtual Programming announced recently that they decided to reissue X3: Reunion as a non-Cider, native port. Apparently many had issues with regards to performance, and Virtual Programming felt the need to fix this.

“We weren’t happy with X3: Reunion’s performance when using Cider, and it turned out many of our customers weren’t either,” said Virtual Programming CEO Mark Hinton. “As a gesture of goodwill, we reengineered the game as a native port that’s a free update for existing customers. Starting today, new X3: Reunion customers will receive the non-Cider version of the game.”

Sweeeeet! The non-Cider port can be purchased as a digital download on Virtual Programming’s Deliver2Mac site.